Today is the day that you are finally going on your class field trip to the zoo! You have been waiting for this all year, and today is the day. You have been so excited to see all of the animals at the zoo, but once you arrive, you and your classmates are surprisingly focused on the endangered species of animals. You are absolutely fascinated by them, and you want to know more about why they are endangered, what endangers their survival, how can they help themselves to survive longer, and how could humans help these animals to ensure their species' survival. You begin to wish that you could actually be that animal for a day to understand them and their way of life better; you are becoming passionate about helping these animals live long, happy lives. Now you hear your teacher calling and it is about time to get back onto the bus and head back to school, but you are not ready to go yet. Just as you are walking back to the bus, you notice that your body is beginning to change! You are growing fur, you are no longer standing upright on two feet, you can smell all these smells around you 100 times better than before...YOU ARE CHANGING INTO AN ANIMAL! Only a few minutes earlier, you wished so badly to be that endangered species for a day, and now your wish is coming true! Since you are transforming into an endangered species for the rest of the day, you have a huge responsibility ahead of you.
See the task page to figure out more about what you are supposed to do.
TASK:
Your team needs to figure out as much information about your endangered species as possible. You are going to write a report about all of the things you experienced during your day as an endangered species. Your team will also be making a poster displaying some information about your animal; the poster will also include pictures and a written report. You are trying to be a spokesperson for this endangered species to help ensure its survival, so really put your heart into this assingment. Make sure and fully complete each of the following tasks...
*Use the given websites to find as much information as possible about your endangered species. Be sure your team members are writing down the important information so you will have everything you need when you are making your poster. Be sure and read about the general information about the animal (where does it live, what does it eat and so on), but also try to find other interesting information that is useful and educational.
*Write a short story about what you think your experiences would be like if you were to transform into your animal for the day (where did you go, what other animals did you see, what food did you eat, did anything exciting or scary happen to you and so on).
*Make a poster with your team that shares the information that you found about your endangered species. Your poster should include ALL of the following: general information about the animal, a copy of your short story, pictures of the animal (try to find at least 2), and the names of everyone in your team.
*The day that this assignment is due, bring your poster with you and be sure that everyone in your team is prepared to present your poster to the rest of your classmates.
PROCESS:
Your team is going to tell your story about what it was like being an endangered species for the day; you will also give some general information about the endangered species. In order to do this, complete the following steps...
STEP ONE:
Go to the following website, and your team should choose one of the animals listed on this page (each animal listed on the page is an endangered species). It does not matter what animal you choose, but the entire team must agree upon one animal. Your animal can live in any country in the world, but make sure you put which country your animal is from when you make your poster board. The website is: http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/map.html
The page where you pick out your animal should look like this:
ESPECIES ANIMAL FACT SHEETS
What is the Endangered Species Act? Click Here for Facts!
STEP TWO:
Your team needs to find out as much information as possible about your endangered species. You should use the provided websites to find some of your information, however, you are not strictly limited to these resources. You MAY use additional resources to find your information. Write down this information as you go along to make sure that you have everything you need when you make your poster. You will need enough information to fill your poster, but remember to leave enough room for your short story and your pictures. Try to include the most interesting and exciting information. The required information for the poster is: where does the animal live, what does the animal eat, what habitat does the animal live in (ocean, forests, grasslands, deserts...), does the animal usually live by itself or with other animals of its kind, and how long does the animal usually live. You can include more information if you wish.
http://www.earthsendangered.com/ Once you go to this page, click on the find a creature tab. Type the name of your animal in the box and hit enter. Under the box labeled species name, click on the animal.
*You should use these websites to get some of your information, but you are not strictly limited to these resources. You MAY also use additional resources.
STEP THREE:
You and your team will write a short story about what your experiences were after you transformed into an endangered species for the day. I would like you to talk about what kind of food you ate, the places that you went, the things that you saw, and if you have any encounters with other animals. If something very exciting happened to you that you would like to share, feel free! If your team has chosen an endangered species that travels in packs, then each member of your team can be different members of the pack when you write your short story. However, if the animal your team has chosen travels and lives alone, then you need to work together to come up with a story about only one animal. This story should be about a page in length, so only include the most interesting and exciting information. When your team is done with the rough draft of your story, please bring it to me so I can check the story and proofread it. After I have checked your story, your team will need to type the final draft and print it off. You will need to glue your story somewhere on your poster once you are finished.
STEP FOUR:
Compile your information and complete your poster. Your team needs to pick out the most important and interesting information about your endangered species that you will be displaying on your poster. Display as much information as you can, and remember to leave enough room for your written short story and your pictures. Your general information facts can be either handwritten on the poster or can be typed and glued to your poster. Remember to include AT LEAST 2 pictures of your endangered species on your poster, but you absolutely can use more than two if you would like. Please include the names of all your team members on the back of your poster.
STEP FIVE:
On the due date, please come to class with your materials. You and your team should be fully prepared to present your poster to the rest of your classmates. Remember to relax, have fun with this project, and learn as much as you can about your endangered species!
*Remember to check the evaluation page to see the rubric in which you will be graded. This will benefit you and your team as you are completing this project to make sure that you have everything you need!
EVALUATION:
To be sure that you have done what you needed to do, use the following rubric...
CAN YOU HELP ME SURVIVE? RUBRIC
Requirements
20-16 points
15-9 points
10-6 points
5-0 points
General Information on poster
The general information requirements were met and clearly stated. More information than required was presented. Information was exciting and interesting.
Most of the general information requirements were met and stated. A little extra information was given and presented. Information was valid.
Some of the general information requirements were met and stated. No extra information was presented. Information was okay but could improve.
One or none of the general information requirements were met and stated. No extra information was presented. Information was unclear and sloppy.
Written short story on poster
The requirements for the short story were met. Story was exciting and creative. The story was grammatically correct. The story was at least 1 page in length. Rough draft was checked by teacher.
Most of the requirements for the short story were met. Story was good but could use more creativity. The story was mostly grammatically correct. The story was not quite 1 page in length. Rough draft was checked by teacher.
Some of the requirements for the short story were met. Story could use more thought and creativity. There were some grammatical errors in the story. The story was not quite ½ a page in length. Rough draft was not checked by teacher.
One or none of the requirements for the short story were met. Story showed very little thought or creativity. There were many grammatical errors in the story. The story was nowhere near a page in length. Rough draft was not checked by teacher.
Pictures included on poster
There were more than 2 pictures on the poster. Pictures were fun, exciting, and colorful. Pictures showed the endangered species very well.
There were at least 2 pictures on the poster. Pictures were good but could improve. Pictures showed the endangered species decently.
There was at least 1 picture of the poster. The picture was okay but could use much improvement. Picture did not show the endangered species very well.
There were no pictures on the poster. Students in the class had no visual for the endangered species.
Names included on poster
All of the names were listed on the poster. Names were clearly listed and easy to find.
Two or three names were listed on the poster. Names were decently easy to find.
One or two names were listed on the poster. Names were difficult to find.
There were no names listed on the poster.
TEACHER PAGE:
This project was designed with 2nd graders in mind, but you could alter the lesson to successfully serve any grade. For older grades, you could have the teams create a poster and make the requirements for the poster more detailed and complicated. The poster could include more specific facts about the animal and you could include other requirements as well. Consider the following options for language learners, learning disabled students, and below grade level learners:
*Group these students with supportive teammates.
*Reduce the requirements: allow student to write a shorter story and allow less information to be on the poster.
*Pull struggling students into a small group with you and guide them through the process.
*Preview and print out a few resources. Highlight the important information for these students.
This activity was created to teach the students more about animals in general, but especially about endangered animals. Humans and animals will always co-exist in this world, and it it important that we teach children to respect these animals and cooperate with them in their environment.
Incorporated Oklahoma PASS Objectives: LIFE SCIENCE
Standard 2: Life cycles and organisms- Life cycles represent the stages an organism passes through from its own birth to the birth of the next generation. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:
1. Plants and animals have life cycles that include developing into adults, reproducing, and eventually dying. The details of this life cycle are different for different organisms.
2. Generally, offspring resemble their parents.
Standard 4: Interpret and Communicate - Interpreting is the process of recognizing patterns in collected data by making inferences, predictions, or conclusions. Communicating is the process of describing, recording, and reporting experimental procedures and results to others. Communication may be oral, written, or mathematical and includes organizing ideas, using appropriate vocabulary, graphs, and other visual representations. The student will accomplish these objectives to meet this process standard.
1. Interpret pictures, simple bar graphs, and/or tables.
2. Recognize and describe patterns, then make predictions based on patterns.
*3. Communicate the results of a simple investigation using drawings, tables, graphs, and/or written and oral language.
LANGUAGE ARTS
Reading/Literature: The student will apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, appreciate, and respond to a wide variety of texts.
Standard 7: Research and Information - The student will conduct research and organize information.
1. Accessing Information – Select the best source for a given purpose.
a. Identify the purposes of various reference materials such as a dictionary, a thesaurus, and an atlas.
b. Alphabetize to the second letter.
c. Use guide words to locate words in dictionaries and topics in encyclopedias.
d. Use title page, table of contents, glossary, and index to locate information.
e. Use and interpret charts, maps, graphs, schedules, and directions.
2. Interpreting Information – Analyze and evaluate information from a variety of sources.
Example: Use graphic organizers, such as webbing and mapping, to organize and summarize information.
Writing/Grammar/Usage and Mechanics: The student will express ideas effectively in written modes for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Standard 1: Writing Process – The student will use the writing process to write coherently.
1. Create a list of topic ideas for writing.
2. Use a process approach to write coherently, using developmentally appropriate steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing or proofreading, and publishing or sharing.
3. Organize related ideas together to maintain a consistent focus by establishing a beginning, middle, and ending.
Standard 2: Modes and Forms of Writing – The student will communicate through a variety of written forms and for various purposes and to a specific audience or person.
1. Recognize that language has many uses such as informing, persuading, and entertaining.
2. Write brief personal descriptive narratives (stories) that:
a. Present a logical sequence of events. b. Develop a main idea. c. Use details to support the main idea.
3. Write “thank you” notes, friendly letters (identifying the five parts), and invitations.
TITLE: CAN YOU HELP ME SURVIVE?
INTRODUCTION:
Today is the day that you are finally going on your class field trip to the zoo! You have been waiting for this all year, and today is the day. You have been so excited to see all of the animals at the zoo, but once you arrive, you and your classmates are surprisingly focused on the endangered species of animals. You are absolutely fascinated by them, and you want to know more about why they are endangered, what endangers their survival, how can they help themselves to survive longer, and how could humans help these animals to ensure their species' survival. You begin to wish that you could actually be that animal for a day to understand them and their way of life better; you are becoming passionate about helping these animals live long, happy lives. Now you hear your teacher calling and it is about time to get back onto the bus and head back to school, but you are not ready to go yet. Just as you are walking back to the bus, you notice that your body is beginning to change! You are growing fur, you are no longer standing upright on two feet, you can smell all these smells around you 100 times better than before...YOU ARE CHANGING INTO AN ANIMAL! Only a few minutes earlier, you wished so badly to be that endangered species for a day, and now your wish is coming true! Since you are transforming into an endangered species for the rest of the day, you have a huge responsibility ahead of you.
See the task page to figure out more about what you are supposed to do.
TASK:
Your team needs to figure out as much information about your endangered species as possible. You are going to write a report about all of the things you experienced during your day as an endangered species. Your team will also be making a poster displaying some information about your animal; the poster will also include pictures and a written report. You are trying to be a spokesperson for this endangered species to help ensure its survival, so really put your heart into this assingment. Make sure and fully complete each of the following tasks...
*Use the given websites to find as much information as possible about your endangered species. Be sure your team members are writing down the important information so you will have everything you need when you are making your poster. Be sure and read about the general information about the animal (where does it live, what does it eat and so on), but also try to find other interesting information that is useful and educational.
*Write a short story about what you think your experiences would be like if you were to transform into your animal for the day (where did you go, what other animals did you see, what food did you eat, did anything exciting or scary happen to you and so on).
*Make a poster with your team that shares the information that you found about your endangered species. Your poster should include ALL of the following: general information about the animal, a copy of your short story, pictures of the animal (try to find at least 2), and the names of everyone in your team.
*The day that this assignment is due, bring your poster with you and be sure that everyone in your team is prepared to present your poster to the rest of your classmates.
PROCESS:
Your team is going to tell your story about what it was like being an endangered species for the day; you will also give some general information about the endangered species. In order to do this, complete the following steps...
STEP ONE:
Go to the following website, and your team should choose one of the animals listed on this page (each animal listed on the page is an endangered species). It does not matter what animal you choose, but the entire team must agree upon one animal. Your animal can live in any country in the world, but make sure you put which country your animal is from when you make your poster board. The website is: http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/map.html
The page where you pick out your animal should look like this:
STEP TWO:
Your team needs to find out as much information as possible about your endangered species. You should use the provided websites to find some of your information, however, you are not strictly limited to these resources. You MAY use additional resources to find your information. Write down this information as you go along to make sure that you have everything you need when you make your poster. You will need enough information to fill your poster, but remember to leave enough room for your short story and your pictures. Try to include the most interesting and exciting information. The required information for the poster is: where does the animal live, what does the animal eat, what habitat does the animal live in (ocean, forests, grasslands, deserts...), does the animal usually live by itself or with other animals of its kind, and how long does the animal usually live. You can include more information if you wish.
The websites you should use are:
http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/map.html
http://www.worldwildlife.org/home.html?sc=AWY0900WCG00&searchen=google&gclid=CLXt-7-F7JkCFdhL5QodU0k1Rw
Once you go to this page, click on the species tab and scroll down. Click on the animal that you have chosen.
http://www.earthsendangered.com/
Once you go to this page, click on the find a creature tab. Type the name of your animal in the box and hit enter. Under the box labeled species name, click on the animal.
*You should use these websites to get some of your information, but you are not strictly limited to these resources. You MAY also use additional resources.
STEP THREE:
You and your team will write a short story about what your experiences were after you transformed into an endangered species for the day. I would like you to talk about what kind of food you ate, the places that you went, the things that you saw, and if you have any encounters with other animals. If something very exciting happened to you that you would like to share, feel free! If your team has chosen an endangered species that travels in packs, then each member of your team can be different members of the pack when you write your short story. However, if the animal your team has chosen travels and lives alone, then you need to work together to come up with a story about only one animal. This story should be about a page in length, so only include the most interesting and exciting information. When your team is done with the rough draft of your story, please bring it to me so I can check the story and proofread it. After I have checked your story, your team will need to type the final draft and print it off. You will need to glue your story somewhere on your poster once you are finished.
STEP FOUR:
Compile your information and complete your poster. Your team needs to pick out the most important and interesting information about your endangered species that you will be displaying on your poster. Display as much information as you can, and remember to leave enough room for your written short story and your pictures. Your general information facts can be either handwritten on the poster or can be typed and glued to your poster. Remember to include AT LEAST 2 pictures of your endangered species on your poster, but you absolutely can use more than two if you would like. Please include the names of all your team members on the back of your poster.
STEP FIVE:
On the due date, please come to class with your materials. You and your team should be fully prepared to present your poster to the rest of your classmates. Remember to relax, have fun with this project, and learn as much as you can about your endangered species!
*Remember to check the evaluation page to see the rubric in which you will be graded. This will benefit you and your team as you are completing this project to make sure that you have everything you need!
EVALUATION:
To be sure that you have done what you needed to do, use the following rubric...
TEACHER PAGE:
This project was designed with 2nd graders in mind, but you could alter the lesson to successfully serve any grade. For older grades, you could have the teams create a poster and make the requirements for the poster more detailed and complicated. The poster could include more specific facts about the animal and you could include other requirements as well. Consider the following options for language learners, learning disabled students, and below grade level learners:
*Group these students with supportive teammates.
*Reduce the requirements: allow student to write a shorter story and allow less information to be on the poster.
*Pull struggling students into a small group with you and guide them through the process.
*Preview and print out a few resources. Highlight the important information for these students.
This activity was created to teach the students more about animals in general, but especially about endangered animals. Humans and animals will always co-exist in this world, and it it important that we teach children to respect these animals and cooperate with them in their environment.
Incorporated Oklahoma PASS Objectives:
LIFE SCIENCE
Standard 2: Life cycles and organisms- Life cycles represent the stages an organism passes through from its own birth to the birth of the next generation. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:
1. Plants and animals have life cycles that include developing into adults, reproducing, and eventually dying. The details of this life cycle are different for different organisms.
2. Generally, offspring resemble their parents.
Standard 4: Interpret and Communicate - Interpreting is the process of recognizing patterns in collected data by making inferences, predictions, or conclusions. Communicating is the process of describing, recording, and reporting experimental procedures and results to others. Communication may be oral, written, or mathematical and includes organizing ideas, using appropriate vocabulary, graphs, and other visual representations. The student will accomplish these objectives to meet this process standard.
1. Interpret pictures, simple bar graphs, and/or tables.
2. Recognize and describe patterns, then make predictions based on patterns.
*3. Communicate the results of a simple investigation using drawings, tables, graphs, and/or written and oral language.
LANGUAGE ARTS
Reading/Literature: The student will apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, appreciate, and respond to a wide variety of texts.
Standard 7: Research and Information - The student will conduct research and organize information.
1. Accessing Information – Select the best source for a given purpose.
a. Identify the purposes of various reference materials such as a dictionary, a thesaurus, and an atlas.
b. Alphabetize to the second letter.
c. Use guide words to locate words in dictionaries and topics in encyclopedias.
d. Use title page, table of contents, glossary, and index to locate information.
e. Use and interpret charts, maps, graphs, schedules, and directions.
2. Interpreting Information – Analyze and evaluate information from a variety of sources.
Example: Use graphic organizers, such as webbing and mapping, to organize and summarize information.
Writing/Grammar/Usage and Mechanics: The student will express ideas effectively in written modes for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Standard 1: Writing Process – The student will use the writing process to write coherently.
1. Create a list of topic ideas for writing.
2. Use a process approach to write coherently, using developmentally appropriate steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing or proofreading, and publishing or sharing.
3. Organize related ideas together to maintain a consistent focus by establishing a beginning, middle, and ending.
Standard 2: Modes and Forms of Writing – The student will communicate through a variety of written forms and for various purposes and to a specific audience or person.
1. Recognize that language has many uses such as informing, persuading, and entertaining.
2. Write brief personal descriptive narratives (stories) that:
a. Present a logical sequence of events. b. Develop a main idea. c. Use details to support the main idea.
3. Write “thank you” notes, friendly letters (identifying the five parts), and invitations.
4. Make journal entries.
5. Create simple rhymes and poems.